Metal siding



Nov. 1, 1966 A. A. CHALMERS 3,282,009

METAL SIDING Filed June 28, 1965 INVENTOR. F/ 3 mam/v05? A-(f/fll/VEPS ATTG/PA/EYS United States Patent 3,282,009 METAL SIDING Alexander A. Chalmers, (:aldvvell, N..I., assignor to Brixite Manufacturing (30., inc, South Kearny, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 28, 1963, Ser. No. 291,495 6 Claims. (U. 52-531) This invention relates to building materials, especially siding, and more particularly to metal siding.

Metal siding, usually made of sheet aluminum, has already come into extensive use. The sheet metal has been reversely bent at the top edge to form a nailing strip of double thickness. There is also a narrow shoulder and downward lip near the top, for interlocking with a rearward bend at the bottom. In order to conserve metal it has already been suggested to omit the reversely bent nailing strip at the top, and to instead strike nailing tabs upward from the interlocking lip at the upper edge of the siding.

Such siding has been used, but has met with some difficulties and disadvantages. The pieces of siding are usually long compared to their width, say twelve feet long and eight inches wide. The rigidity of the panels arises from the rearward bend at the bottom, and the narrow shoulder and downward bend or lip at the top. When nailing tabs are struck out of the shoulder and lip there is a loss of rigidity. Any bending of the panel in the course of shipment or handling mars its appearance permanently.

Moreover, the workmen applying the siding to a building Wall frequently are paid on the basis of the area covered, and therefore want to work with a siding which may be quickly and rapidly applied. The lower edge of a length of siding is pushed upward and interlocked with the upper lip of the previously applied piece of siding therebeneath. If the clearance or interlock is too loose, the siding does not remain in position as it is being nailed, and if it is too tight the piece must be forced, which takes time and often results in a bend which mars the appearance of the finished siding.

The general object of the present invention is to improve such metal siding. A more specific object is to conserve in the use of metal by forming upwardly struck integral nailing tabs, while at the same time retaining nearly the rigidity and accurate interlock of more expensive siding having a reversely-bent double-thickness nailing strip. This improvement is obtained by striking the nailing tabs from the wide panel where the loss of material does not affect stiffness; by using a curled or circular bead at the lower edge of the lip; by curling the bead forwardly rather than rearwardly, which helps maintain accurate clearance; and by retaining intact a narrow shoulder at the top of the siding, which together with the lip and bead, adds to the stiffness or rigidity of the siding.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the siding elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a fragmentary portion of a wall to which the improved siding has been applied;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view drawn to enlarged scale to show the interlock of lower and upper panels; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevation showing portions of two superposed lengths of siding.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 3, the siding comprises a main panel 12 which is generally upright, but slopes slightly, and which is bent inward as shown at 14 (FIG. 1) at its lower edge to form a bottom, and then upward and outward to form a flange 16. The upper edge of the panel is bent forward and reversely downward to form a lip 18, the lower edge of which is curved into a round bead 20 for overlapping and interlocking with the flange 16 when lengths of siding are superposed on the side of a building.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, tabs of metal 22 are excised or struck rearwardly and bent upwardly or reversely to a position above the upper edge of the lip 18, these tabs being apertured as shown at 24- to act as nailing tabs. The vertical depth of the openings 26 from which the tabs are formed is less than that of the lip 18 with its bead 20, so that the opening is sealed by the next higher length of siding, as is clearly shown in FIG. 1.

In bending the lip 18 downward, it is preferably first bent forward to form a narrow shoulder 30, and the upwardly bent tab 22 is located above the shoulder 30, and preferably leaves the shoulder fully or nearly intact, the tab being maintained in the plane of the rear panel of the siding. This is desirable because the shoulder 39 helps to stiffen the siding, along with the lip 18 and bead 243.

The head 20 is preferably curled forward as shown, rather than rearward, because this makes the location and dimension of the locking surface more precise. The bead is nearly a full circle in cross section, for maximum rigidity. It has been found that with this construction the clearance in the lock joint between interlocked pieces of siding may be kept plus or minus ten-thousandths of an inch over the full length of the siding, say twelve feet. This is of great help in rapid installation of the siding because the worker presses the next higher piece into position, and it remains in position as he drives nails through the tabs along the upper edge. With excessive clearance one end tends to fall out of position while holding and nailing the other end, which is annoying to the worker. When the fit is too tight the piece of siding must be forced into position, which usually warps or bends it somewhat, and mars its appearance.

During shipment and handling the present siding is stiffer and better than its predecessor, presumably because the nailing tabs have been struck from a wide panel 12 where the loss of area is not noticeable, instead of being struck from the narrow lip 18, where the loss of area is very noticeable. Moreover, when the tabs are struck from the lip 18, the upwardly turned portion cuts away and includes the metal of the shoulder 30, resulting in additional loss of stiffness, whereas in the present arrangement the shoulder 30 may be left substantially intact. The circular head 20 also adds to the stiffness of the siding, in addition to forming an excellent interlocking joint.

Another advantage is less easily explained, and arises from the detailed method of manufacture. When the tabs are excised or lanced by a suitable die, strain lines are formed which produce small but visible ripples in the panel. I have found that when the tabs are lanced from the rear panel instead of from the lip, these strain lines move in the direction of the tabs, that is, away from the visible or exposed area of the panel, and therefore the panel is not marred by such strain lines.

To summarize, the advantages are the overall beam strength against accidental bending during shipment and handling; the greater rigidity in the lock section; the maintenance of closer tolerance or accurate clearance in the lock section; and the elimination or reduction of visible strain lines.

In FIG. 2 the hole shown at 32 is a small drainage hole formed in the bottom 14 of the siding. Such holes are preferred, but form no novel feature of the present invention.

It is believed that the construction, method of manufacture, and method of use of my improved sheet metal siding, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in a preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A metal siding comprising a generally upright but sloping panel bent inward at its lower edge to form a bottom, and then bent upward and outward to form a flange, the upper edge of the panel being bent reversely downward to form a lip in front of the panel, the lower edge of the lip being shaped to overlap and interlock with the aforesaid flange when lengths of siding are superposed on the side of a building, and tabs of metal being struck from the upper part of the panel and bent reversely to a position above the upper edge of the lip to act as nailing tabs, the vertical height of the tabs being less than that of the lip.

2. A metal siding comprising a generally upright but sloping panel bent inward at its lower edge to form a bottom, and then bent upward and outward to form a flange, the upper edge of the panel being bent outward to form a narrow shoulder, and downward to form a lip in front of the panel, the lower edge of the lip being shaped to overlap and interlock with the aforesaid flange when lengths of siding are superposed on the side of the building, tabs of metal being struck from the upper part of the panel and bent reversely to a position above the lip and shoulder, the vertical height of the tabs being less than that of the lip, and said tabs being apertured to act as nailing tabs.

3. A metal siding comprising a generally upright but sloping panel bent inward at its lower edge to form a bottom, and then bent upward and outward to form a flange, the upper edge of the panel being bent outward and downward to form a lip in front of the panel, the lower edge of the lip being curled into a round bead for overlapping and interlocking with the aforesaid flange when lengths of siding are superposed on the side of a building, and tabs of metal being struck from the upper part of the panel and bent reversely to a position above the upper edge of the lip to act as nailing tabs, the vertical height of the tabs being less than that of the lip.

4. A metal siding comprising a generally upright but sloping panel bent inward at its lower edge to form a bottom, and then bent upward and outward to form a flange, the upper edge of the panel being bent outward to form a narrow shoulder, and downward to form a lip in front of the panel, the lower edge of the lip being curled into a bead for overlapping and interlocking with the aforesaid flange when lengths of siding are superposed on the side of a building, and tabs of metal being struck from the upper part of the panel and bent reversely to a position above the lip and shoulder to act as nailing tabs, the vertical height of the tabs being less than that of the lip.

5. A metal siding comprising a generally upright but sloping panel bent inward at its lower edge to form a bottom and then bent upward and outward to form a flange, the upper edge of the panel being bent outward to form a narrow shoulder, and downward to form a lip in front of the panel, the lower edge of the lip being curled with its free edge on the outer side of the lip into a round bead for overlapping and interlocking with the aforesaid flange when lengths of siding are superposed on the side of a building, tabs of metal being struck from the upper part of the panel and bent reversely to a position above the lip and shoulder, and said tabs being apertured to act as nailing tabs, the vertical height of the tabs being less than that of the lip.

6. A sheet metal siding strip comprising an elongated panel having upper and lower edges and inner and outer surfaces, the upper edge of said panel having a reversely bent outwardly and downwardly extending lip member extending the length of the strip and overlying the upper portion of the panel with the lower edge of the lip spaced from the outer surface of the panel; a row of spaced tongues integral with the strip at substantially the junction of the panel and lip, said tongues being struck out from the portion of the panel located behind the lip and above the level of the lower edge of the lip, said tongues projecting upwardly above the upper edge of the panel to provide nailing tabs, and a bottom flange at the lower edge of the panel extending inwardly from the lower edge of the panel and terminating in an upturned flange portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1961 Rausen 50226 2/1964 Mendelsohn 50230 JACOB SHAPIRO, EARL J. WITMER, JACOB L.

NACKENOFF, Examiners. 

1. A METAL SIDING COMPRISING A GENERALLY UPRIGHT BUT SLOPING PANEL BENT INWARD AT ITS LOWER EDGE TO FORM A BOTTOM, AND THEN BENT UPWARD AND OUTWARD TO FORM A FLANGE, THE UPPER EDGE OF THE PANEL BEING BENT REVERSELY DOWNWARD TO FORM A LIP IN FRONT OF THE PANEL, THE LOWER EDGE OF THE LIP BEING SHAPED TO OVERLAP AND INTERLOCK WITH THE AFORESAID FLANGE WHEN LENGHTS OF SIDING ARE SUPERPOSED ON THE SIDE OF A BUILDING, AND TABS OF METAL BEING STRUCK FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE PANEL AND BENT REVERSELY TO A POSITION ABOVE THE UPPER EDGE OF THE LIP TO ACT AS NAIL- 